Montgomery County native, Temple alum Dan Trachtenberg returns to direct 'Predator: Badlands' "Predator: Badlands" is in theaters nationwide on Friday, November 7. By Alicia Vitarelli Wednesday, November 5, 2025 4:40PM 'Predator: Badlands' is the latest film in the sci-fi horror franchise and Montgomery County native Dan Trachtenberg is once again directing. "Predator: Badlands" is the latest film in the sci-fi horror franchise and for the third time, a Montgomery County native and Temple alum is at the helm. Dan Trachtenberg calls it a "ginormous" action film where this this time, you're rooting for the predator. "I was in third grade in a carpool on the way to a karate tournament with all of the sixth grade boys and they had all just seen 'Predator'," he recalls. "Described the entire thing to me, word for word and it blew my mind." That's the Willow Grove, Pennsylvania native's first memory of the original 1987 "Predator" film. "I was particularly blown away by the movie when I eventually saw it," he says. "And now I'm literally making a giant 'Predator' movie. There are action sequences and suspense, Hitchcockian-taught thrill sequences and awesome hand-to-hand fight scenes." This, as a creature named "Dek" is exiled on the most deadly planet in the galaxy, where he is not the predator. Instead, he is the prey. With Philly running through the Temple University alum's veins, Trachtenberg is drawn to the underdog. "Dek," played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is hunting something that can't be killed, but he will stop at nothing. "It's pretty much the first of its kind film where the protagonist is the predator," says Schuster-Koloamatangi. "Dek" is a classic movie monster that Trachtenberg says you can root for. "Now, everyone is kind of on his side through his journey," says Schuster-Koloamatangi. "You are understanding where he's come from and where he's going. He also has an unlikely ally by his side." That ally is a robot named "Thia," played by Elle Fanning. "It's such a new take on this franchise," says Fanning. "Dan is pushing it in such a bold, exciting new direction." "Amongst the thrill ride is a giant heaping dose of heart and hopefully you will be so exhausted coming out of the movie, because your heart was pounding and you had an incredible emotional experience and some laughs," says Trachtenberg. "Predator: Badlands" is in theaters on Friday, November 7. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station. Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics Source: https://6abc.com/post/montgomery-county-native-temple-university-alumnus-dan-trachtenberg-returns-direct-predator-badlands/18116437/